What You Need to Know About Skin Cancer
THE BASICS
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States.
The most preventable cause of skin cancer is overexposure
to ultraviolet (UV) light, either from the sun or from artificial
sources like tanning beds.
The two most common types of skin cancer—basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas—are highly curable, but can be disfiguring and costly to treat. Melanoma, the third most common skin cancer, is more dangerous and causes the most deaths.
People with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop skin cancer. Risk factors vary for different types of skin cancer.
Information courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Me
What does skin cancer look like?
WARNING
SIGNS
Skin cancers often start as changes to your skin. They can be new growths or precancerous lesions.
MOLES
"Normal" moles can appear flat or raised, but the surface is typically smooth. Moles that may have changed into skin cancer are often irregularly shaped, contain many colors, and are larger than the size of a pencil eraser.
KNOW YOUR ABCDs
A - ASYMMETRY
If your mole does not look symmetrical, get it checked.
B - BORDER
Melanoma lesions often have uneven borders.
C - COLOR
Normal moles are usually a single shade of color.
D- DIAMETER
Diameter larger than the eraser of a pencil is suspicious.
E - EVOLVING
Melanoma lesions often grow in size or height.
Information courtesy of WebMD..